Fuel theft round up for November

2nd November – Bury Free Press

Police are appealing to the public for information after 250 litres of heating oil was stolen from a home in the village of West Row.

Suffolk Police have said that the oil was stolen from a tank at a house in Beeches Road, West Row – sometime between Monday 19th October and Saturday 21st October.

If you noticed any unusual or suspicious activity in the area or have information about the theft, then please contact Suffolk Police on 101, quoting crime reference 37/12337/15.

16th November – Darlington & Stockton

Volunteer police officers arrested a man on suspicion of stealing diesel near Darlington.

The arrest was made after Darlington Special Constabulary officers chased the male suspect on foot, after it was thought the man had stolen 200 litres of diesel near Redhall.

Darlington Special Constabulary tweeted from their Twitter account, that the suspected male was ‘in the cells’ and ‘200 litres of diesel had been recovered’.

18th November – Donegal Now

A man has appeared in court after €120 worth of diesel was stolen from a business premises in Letterkenny.

Gardaí police attended Letterkenny Concrete at Cullion Road on 8th February, after business owner William McLaughlin spotted two males syphoning diesel from a tank in his yard.

Inspector Denis Joyce told the court that Gardaí could see two women sitting in a UK registered car whilst the two suspect males made off towards a ditch. Suspect Martin Maughan was apprehended at the scene ‘with his hands soaked in diesel’.

Judge Paul Kelly was told that Maughan (of 11 Cluain Ard in Killyclug), had 19 previous convictions including assault, dangerous driving, trespass, theft and road traffic matters.

Defence solicitor Kieran Dillion said the co-accused had been the instigator in the incident – which occurred on their joint return from a wedding – while his client ‘foolishly went along with the plan’.

Mr Dillion said his client had brought to court €150 to compensate for the stolen diesel, and a cheque of €20 for a shirt he stole from retailer H&M which occurred on 28th March.

Judge Kelly adjourned sentencing until February 2016 and ordered a probation and community service report on Maughan.

24th November – Derry Journal

Homeowners in Creggan have been told to remain vigilant after several incidents of oil theft have been reported across the estate.

The warning was issued by Sinn Féin Councillor Kevin Campbell following a spate of thefts over the weekend.

Colr. Campbell said: “Sadly it’s not uncommon nowadays to hear of heating oil being stolen from homes.

“I was speaking to one of the residents targeted who lives in Rinmore Drive and they had 200 litres stolen from their tank. He wanted me to get the warning out through the local media.

“Back in February there was a spate of similar incidents in Creggan with five homes targeted in just one night.

“Having oil stolen is causing severe hardship to many families who cannot afford to refill their tanks, especially just a few weeks before Christmas.”

He asked for people to be observant, as fuel thefts of this kind take time and special equipment. If you spot anything unusual or suspicious, call the police.

30th November – ITV News

Gloucestershire Police are hunting thieves who stole a thousand pounds worth of red diesel, which was being stored in a yellow fuel bowser. The bowser is believed to have been towed away from the compound in Lydbrook – which offenders forced entry to – between 5pm n Thursday and 8am on Friday.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious or knows the whereabouts of the bowser, should call police on 101 quoting incident number 112 of Friday 27th November.

For information on how to keep your fuel safe, including tips and advice, take a look at our indepth guides - Heating Oil Security Guide and Diesel Fuel Security Guide.

Also, follow us on Twitter @FuelSecurityMon to keep up to date with our fuel theft news bulletins and #FuelSecurityFriday tips.